Tip 8: Make Your Own Rules

Every writer is unique – and the Daily 30 recognises that. The bottom line is spending time on writing every day. The rest… Well, that’s up to you. That brings us to tip 8:

“Make your own rules (and adjust them in time).”

There are many examples over the past 10 years of me changing the rules of the game for myself, whether to include new areas of interest or simply to ensure that I’m able to keep up the habit. Here are a few examples.

“The Day Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over”

When I first started my daily writing habit, every day officially ended at midnight. This meant I had to finish my 30 minutes of writing before the clock struck 12. This was great for my sleeping pattern – but also had its downsides.

As time went on, my life became busier. My schedule became more unpredictable. And on top of that, I slowly realised I was an evening writer. All of that meant that I simply wasn’t able to keep up my 12 o’clock promise. But I didn’t want to stop with the Daily 30. So, I made a change.

Midnight is now officially a myth. The day isn’t over until I go to sleep. This takes away the stress of having to write to a fixed deadline. Went to a concert and got back at ten minutes to twelve? No problem. I’ll just start writing, and if I finish at 1, it still counts for that day.

For anyone who’s thinking of taking on a similar rule, don’t forget: Your health is most important. Make sure you get enough sleep. Make sure you stay healthy. Not even this daily habit should mess with that.

“School Work Doesn’t Count”

Back when I was studying Creative Writing, I made a new rule to challenge myself. Of course, it’s quite easy to spend 30 minutes a day writing when it’s your 40-hour-a-week commitment. But I wanted something more.

At the time, I was working on one of my first manuscripts and really enjoying the process of just writing something for me. I didn’t want to let that go while I spent time on school assignments and short stories that needed to be handed in. So, I decided school work didn’t count.

My Daily 30 was for my own writing. For puzzling out plot advancement and playing around with character ideas without wondering what my teacher might think of it. During my studies, this was my way of finding time to love writing beyond the ECTS.

“Composing is Writing, Too”

The opposite has happened, too. Instead of focusing on a very specific kind of writing, I’ve needed to expand my idea of what kind of writing counts towards my daily streak.

As I moved from school to a day job, the way I spent my time every day changed dramatically. At the same time, I found my attention drawn to other projects than straightforward fiction. Spoken word became a big interest, especially when combined with music, and with other responsibilities demanding my attention, too, I needed to make some choices.

If I wanted the time to finish a big project, I needed to give that to myself, also if that meant that I didn’t necessarily just spend my 30 minutes writing words. Isn’t writing music similar in a lot of ways?

In the end, choices like this have kept my streak going, and they’ve allowed me to advance my writing career in ways I’d never even considered when I first started the Daily 30!

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Planning is everything. Especially with big projects, I recommend making to-do-lists to see what you need to do to finish a particular story or take the next step in your writing career. That, in turn, helps you figure out whether it’s time to change the rules of your daily practice. If a new rule helps you get to the end of that to-do list faster, you’re on the right track.

Writing Prompt: The Rulebook

We all have rules for ourselves, even when we don’t realise it. Figuring out what those rules are can actually be really useful in understanding what makes us tick – and that isn’t any different for characters.

Character motivation is a big focus of nearly every story, so you’ve got to make sure it’s solid for your characters. What is their driving force? Are they aware of it? Do they live by it, or are they lost, trying to find their way back to it? That’s what today’s writing prompt is about.

“Rule #1: …”
What is an important rule your character lives by?

Rules are for Breaking Changing

Change is inevitable, and it’s also necessary. Instead of trapping yourself in a gilded cage with the Daily 30, it’s important to recognise when it’s time to adjust.

When you’re beginning to struggle, try to evaluate what kind of problem you’re running into. Should you push through, or can you tweak your expectations and rules to make sure you keep going?

This might feel like cheating at the start – it often has, for me – but in the end, it’s your daily writing habit. If you outgrow the mould, why not craft a new one?

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Priscilla Kint